5 Ways to prevent motion sickness when travelling

Last updated on 5th January, 2024 at 12:27 pm

If you’re travelling by air, sea or road any time soon, and worry about the risk of motion sickness ruining your trip, we’ve got you sorted with some motion sickness-combatting hacks.

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In this article you’ll learn:

• What motion sickness is, and what causes it.
• How to prevent or lower your risk for motion sickness while travelling.

Dizziness, cold sweats, fatigue, headaches, nausea and vomiting are all nasty symptoms of motion sickness, which can drain the excitement out of any trip. While seasickness is the most common form, you can also experience it when travelling by land or by air.

The science behind motion sickness

Motion sickness occurs when the brain receives conflicting information between actual and expected motion. For example, on an aeroplane your eyes might not see movement, but your body can feel it, sending conflicting signals to the brain.

According to the authors of an article on the topic published in Drugs in Context, motion sickness is easier to prevent than cure. We’ve listed five ways to help you curb the onset of air (or other motion-related) sickness below:

Be mindful of what you eat and drink before travelling

Hydrate well before travelling, especially before air travel, as you can get dehydrated while flying due to the low pressure and extremely low humidity in the cabin. In the same article, the authors suggest that “susceptible individuals should travel when well rested [and] stay well hydrated”.

The following should be avoided before travelling:

• large meals
• caffeine
• alcohol
• foods that are high in histamine content (eg processed meat, fermented dairy products and tinned fish).

Choose your seat carefully

The back of an aeroplane tends to experience more motion, while the seats directly next to the wings and those further forward provide more stability, which, in turn, reduces the feeling of motion you’ll experience in your body.

It’s best to sit in the front when travelling by car. If you do find yourself relegated to the backseat of a vehicle, pick the middle seat, where you can look out at the horizon directly ahead and have better access to cool air from the air conditioning vents.

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Opt for fresh or pleasant-smelling air

The results of a study published in the journal Experimental Brain Research found that a pleasant odour can potentially reduce visually induced motion sickness. Some of the study’s participants indicated that the smell of roses helped.

A stuffy environment may also predispose you to motion sickness. To avoid this, angle the aeroplane’s air conditioning vent towards yourself, and make sure that it’s open. On a road trip, make sure the car is well ventilated by opening the windows or cranking up the air con.

Try a natural remedy

Ginger has been known to help with nausea. An authentic ginger ale may help to settle your stomach. You could also try candied ginger or ginger root tablets. According to the UK’s National Health Service, you can take ginger “as a tablet, biscuit or tea”.

Chamomile tea is a digestive relaxant, and according to a study published in the European International Journal of Multidisciplinary Research and Management Studies, has been used to treat various gastrointestinal disturbances, including motion sickness and nausea.

Opt for medication

When considering over-the-counter medication, pharmacist Arina Davies of MKem 24-Hour Pharmacy in Cape Town recommends Stugeron, which contains cinnarizine and is good for relieving the symptoms of motion sickness, including air sickness. Important to note is that it’s not safe for pregnant women, and in this case, she recommends trying a homeopathic remedy.” Valoid or Medazine, which both contain the antihistamine cyclizine, are other treatment options for motion sickness.